Sapphire Eyes
Chapter 8: Mission Accomplished?
By: Liewe
Standard disclaimers apply, Yanisha is the only personality I claim to own,
and even then she is based on my late Great Aunt.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Quatre sat, holding his head in his hands as he tried to think of the right
to phrase what he wanted to say.
“This is always so easy in the movies, and in books,” he noted ruefully.
“But as Yanisha said, matters of the heart are confusing, aren’t they?”
“Quatre, what are you trying to say?” Noin asked hesitantly.
“What am I trying to say? I’d like to know that myself.” He shook his head
as he reviewed his options. Zech’s was on his way, it was now or never. He
had to tell Noin how he felt, or he would loose his chance for ever.
“I’ve looked up to you since the war, I respected you, and I tried to help
you whenever I could.” Quatre sighed. “And over time, I began to care for
you,” he stated softly. “And when your heart ached, mine ached for you. I
hated to see you in pain. I could have killed Zechs for hurting you, but
that would have hurt you more.”
“Quatre what are you trying to say?”
“Noin, please, let me finish, this is hard enough.” Quatre pleaded, trying
vainly to hold onto his nerve. “When the war ended, it was difficult not to
see you everyday, I had become so used to that on Peacemillion. Seeing you
everyday. But then Mariemaia’s coup began. And I thought, maybe I’d get to
see you again, and I did, but only for a few minutes. We didn’t get to say
goodbye. They say that absence makes the heart grow founder. I think
they’re right,” Quatre whispered, hanging his head as he waited for the axe
to fall.
“Quatre, I don’t know what to say?” Noin began hesitantly.
“Then you don’t have to say anything, don’t worry about it,” Quatre said,
rising from his seat, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Quatre? I just need to think about it, things have changed so much in just
a few weeks. I just need to think,” Noin half pleaded, half stated a hand
reaching towards Quatre’s retreating form.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Hey, Afmad?” Abdul called.
“Yes?”
“I just need a second opinion here, but isn’t that Zechs Merquise driving
towards us in that rented Jeep?”
“Um… possibly,” Afmad replied, squinting at the approaching figure.
Abdul, didn’t reply. Slowly he turned on his heel, in search of Rashid, to
find Yanisha standing directly behind him.
“So he’s here already, well I’ll go tell Quatre, you go and find Rashid,”
Yanisha said, with a sigh.
“You knew he was coming?”
“Of course, he’s after Noin, he wants a second chance,” Yanisha replied
simply. “Plus, Trowa and Midii called to warn Quatre earlier.”
“I see…” Abdul replied, as he entered one of the larger tents in search of
the large hulking man he called commander.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Quatre?”
“He went to look for Rashid a few minutes ago,” Noin answered
dejectedly.
“And?” Yanisha prompted softly, moving to sit beside Noin’s dejected
form.
“Yanisha, I messed up, I didn’t say anything.” Noin whispered brokenly.
Yanisha, tenderly stroked Noin’s hair as she rocked the younger woman in her
arms, trying to offer what comfort she could. “Shh, shh,” Yanisha crooned
softly.
“I failed again,” Noin sobbed.
“No sweetie, you didn’t fail, Quatre’s still here,” Yanisha tried to assure
her bodyguard and friend.
“But he poured his heart out, and I said I needed to think, I didn’t tell
him I felt the same way,” Noin stammered.
“Do you feel the same way?”
“I think so, I’m not entirely sure,” Noin whispered.
“Well then you do need time to think then, don’t rush this Noin,” Yanisha
cautioned.
Noin looked up, startled as she realized her previous mistake. With Zechs
she had pledged her heart, even when she had been unsure if that had been
her true desire.
“Noin, just a word of caution, Zechs is almost here,” Yanisha said softly,
before leaving the tent.
“Zechs? Here?” Noin replied in astonishment.
~*~*~*~*~*~
He glanced around the encampment as he climbed down from the Jeep. A grime
encrusted hand pushing back his sweat damp hair.
“Hello?” he called, anxious for a reply.
“Hello,” Yanisha replied as she appeared from the shadows of Noin’s tent.
“I’m Yanisha Winner, and you are?”
“I am Zechs Merquise,” Zechs replied softly.
“The lightning count? To what do we owe this visit?” Yanisha asked
softly.
“I’m looking for someone. Her name is Lucrezia Noin. Hold on, did you say
Winner? Are you related to Quatre Winner?”
“He’s my nephew,” Yanisha said with a smile. “He’s here at the moment, just
speaking to Rashid I believe.”
“Ah, well before I leave I’ll speak with him. Have you seen Lucrezia Noin?”
Zechs asked anxiously.
“She’s my bodyguard,” Yanisha replied with a knowing smile.
“She’s here?”
“Yes, but she’s resting.”
“Yanisha, you don’t have to lie for me,” Noin called from the dark shade of
her tent as she moved into the harsh light.
Slowly she moved closer to Zechs. Her hands nervously held behind her. It
felt like eons since she had last seen Zechs unnerved. He was sweating, and
his face was etched with lines of worry, and fatigue.
“Noin?” Zechs stated as he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her
neck.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Quatre walked out of the tent, Rashid in step behind him. His mind was
clouded with worry, he didn’t want to loose Noin, but he feared it was
already too late. Zechs was on his way, most probably already within the
confines of the encampment.
“What…” Quatre trailed off as he saw Noin in Zechs’ arms, and his heart ran
cold. With a stiff upper lip he approached the former lightning count,
desperately trying to push back his hurt.
“Zechs, hello,” Quatre said with forced cheer as he shook the older mans
hand.
“Quatre, it’s nice to see you again,” Zechs said his face bright with
joy.
“Zechs, we need to talk,” Noin whispered. “We need to talk.”
Quatre watched them disappear into Noin’s tent, and slowly he walked towards
his own tent.
“Rashid, get me my chopper please, I need to go back to the city,” Quatre
said his voice heavy with misery.
~*~*~*~*~*~
~To Be Continued….